What Is Comedian Emil Wakim’s NYQ?

On a scale from the Comedy Cellar to the basement of Sahadi’s, what is Emil Wakim’s NYQ? This is NYQ, a series in which we find out how “New York” notable New Yorkers really are. How many years have you lived in New York? Six. You could make one subway-etiquette rule law — what would it be? You can’t read a book while standing up. That’s arrogant, and it makes me feel bad about my reading skills. Your cabdriver is taking you on a horrible route. Do you interrupt? Yeah, but passive-aggressively. Maybe I go, “Is this — is this close? I think maybe it’s this.” How often do you take public transportation to the airport? One time, to Newark, and I think that earned me the excuse of not having to do it again. Someone tries to hand you a flyer on the street — what do you do? Take it and then throw it away like five feet later. It’s a blinking red light and you’re about to cross — do you wait it out till it says “walk,” or are you crossing? No, I cross, but I look both ways.You have family coming to town in 24 hours — what do you do with them on short notice? There’s a place in Queens called Abuqir. It’s like Egyptian seafood. It’s really good.Someone you want to impress asks for restaurant advice — what neighborhood do you send them to for the best Lebanese food? East Village. Or is it the Lower East Side? I always confuse the two. Where do you go when you want to feel like home? There’s a place called Ilili. That’s really great. I do that. What grocery store do you go to to find hard-to-find ingredients? There’s a place by me, it’s like a Syrian-Korean fusion place. It’s called SYKO — like SY for Syrian, KO for Korean. What’s the most iconic old New York SWANA spot in the city? Sahadi’s. Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response? You haven’t had one run over your foot before. What’s your area code? 630. Do you think they matter? Yeah, when I see a 917, I go, “All right.” Do you call Manhattan “the city” or just Manhattan? I alternate to see what sticks. What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a coffee in New York City? Under nine. When you get into double digits, then it’s like — that’s food. That’s solids, you know? What’s something a tourist does that you secretly still do? Well, I look at my phone as soon as I come out of the subway to see what direction I should walk. Do you own a car? Have you ever admitted that out loud? Yeah. The neighborhood I lived in is like very old Irish, old Italian neighborhoods, and someone told me that the guys used to beat up the parking-ticket people, so that’s why they don’t ticket there as much. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Bedbugs or roaches? Roaches are terrible, but then bedbugs are smaller, but then they’re in your bed. If it’s where I’m sleeping, I can’t do that. So — roaches? Roaches or rats? Roaches. Which is worse: Dimes Square or Hudson Yards? Dimes Square has like an annoying stereotype — people are kind of like, uh, jeans and a tank top. But Hudson Yards is like a mall, so probably Hudson Yards. Have you ever gotten a piece of furniture off the street? I have two photos up in my apartment that I got off the street. One is of the New York City skyline and it still has the World Trade Center, so it’s vintage. The other one I use as a frame — I took the thing out and I drew a little picture of my dog with colored pencils. Do you touch the subway poles? The inside of my elbow does. If I do, then that hand is like dead for the day. Where do you go to cry? How many times have I cried in New York? Maybe like under five. I definitely feel emotions. What about NYC still makes no sense to you? How they built tunnels — I still don’t really get that. What’s a place that closed that you wish you could bring back? There was a comedy club, Carolines, in Times Square that was great. Sexiest New Yorker? Jalen Brunson now. Have you ever cried over a New York sports team? No. No, I’m not 12 years old. How much do you pay when you go to the Met? I think like five bucks. ’Cause I’m like, don’t I pay taxes? What percent did you tip your last Uber driver? 10 percent. It should be more. What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you in New York? Probably just someone telling me, like, “Hey, there’s a thing on that, don’t sit on that.” Best New York celebrity sighting? Oh, I saw Zohran today. I was walking in the park. He was speed walking with people around him. What Is Arian Moayed’s NYQ? What Is Sarah Pidgeon’s NYQ? What Is Comedian Cat Cohen’s NYQ? See All What Is Comedian Emil Wakim’s NYQ? Your product is saved! You’ll receive emails when your saved products go on sale. Manage preferences. Every product is independently selected by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. Who Was the Man in 2B? 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